


untitled #1

by lilija_the_red



Category: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)
Genre: Caretaking, Fluff, Looking After One Another, M/M, Pre-Relationship, unreasonable!Zhan Yao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilija_the_red/pseuds/lilija_the_red
Summary: Zhan Yao once again has lost himself in his work and failed to look after himself. To his luck Bai Yutong is there to fill in.
Relationships: Bai Yutong/Zhan Yao
Comments: 9
Kudos: 135





	untitled #1

“Zhan Yao?” Bai Yutong pushes open the door to Zhan Yao’s apartment.

He had rang the bell, but the professor hadn’t seemed to notice.  
Luckily for him, he still has the spare key.  
Bai Yutong tends to avoid using the key. It seemed… he doesn’t really know WHY… it just felt… doesn’t feel right.  
He wouldn’t have come by anyway if Zhan Yao hadn’t been … strange lately.

By which he means he hadn’t heard of him for days.  
Zhan Yao hadn’t shown up at the office for a few days.  
Not too strange, Bai Yutong would admit. Hadn’t it been for the fact, that Zhan Yao also hadn’t been to his office at the university as well.  
In fact, he hadn’t been there for over a week, as the nice secretary at the front desk had told Bai Yutong. Not since, according to them, the Professor had stuffed his arms full of papers and books a week ago and basically had fled the office.

“Zhan Yao?” Bai Yutong calls out again, carefully closing the door behind him.

“Are you home?”

No answer.

Bai Yutong looks around. The flat looks normal. Nothing out of the unusual. Bai Yutong continues his search. By instinct he opts for the most logical option: the small room, Zhan Yao uses as office.  
He pushes open the door, rewarded by the shine of a lamp, enlightening Zhan Yao’s work desk. And sure enough, there between stacks of books, some open, some closed with little paperstrips clipped between the pages, the subject of his search: Zhan Yao!  
The joy of having found him is brushed away immediately as he steps into the room and gets a good look at Zhan Yao.

“You can’t be serious!” Bai Yutong calls out, putting his hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed.

Zhan Yao flinches at the sound of his voice.

“Oh”, he lets out a sound almost too thin to catch and turns around slowly.  
“Hello, Bai Yutong.”

Bai Yutong stares at him with wide eyes.

“Tell me, when was the last time you ate?”

No answer.

“The last time you slept?”

Again, no answer.

“Changed clothes? Showered? Stood up from this chair?!”

His hand shoots up as Zhan Yao opens his mouth to answer telling him to now answer.

“ _ **Not**_ for getting another book!”

Zhan Yao closes his mouth again, making Bai Yutong pinching the breach of his nose in frustration.

Zhan Yao is sticking out his lower lip now, pouting. At least some life is coming back into his tired eyes.  
“There was no time", he retorts.

Bai Yutong takes in a deep breath, centering himself. Zhan Yao not looking after himself properly, when he’s in his study-slump is nothing new. But it irks him, that it had gotten this bad. And he hadn’t done anything so far. He had to keep a closer look on his professor in the future.  
But now is now. He got to take care of this Zhan Yao first, before he could worry about the future one.  
He steps inside now, only stopping right next to Zhan Yao, reaching out his hand to take the papers from his hands.

“You’ve worked enough for today, don’t you think?” He keeps his voice firm, trying hard not to sound patronizing. "Or better, enough for days."

But Zhan Yao seems to disagree. He rips the papers from Bai Yutong’s grip, pressing them to his chest.

“I can’t stop just yet!”

It’s now that Bai Yutong sees the feverish shine in Zhan Yao’s eyes. How crinkled up his shirt is. How tired he really looks. That kind of look you only get, when you’ve almost forgotten what sleep even feels like… Up close, Zhan Yao looks miserably close to collapsing.

His chest tightens at the view.

When he speaks up again, his voice is calmer, softer. “How about this? I’ll go to the supermarket and buy some nice ingredients and while you shower, I’ll cook you something nice?”

With a flick of victory he sees Zhan Yao lowering the papers from his chest. But the battles not won yet.

“You’ll cook?”

“Yes.”

“Will you make those roasted sea foods?”

Bai Yutong suppresses a laugh. He nods. “If you want.”

“With the extra spicy sauce?”

He nods again. Of course, the cat gets picky once he gets his eyes on the prize.

“If you want. But!” – he makes a heavy pause. “- only if you get up and get some rest now.”

Zhan Yao’s eyes flick back to the paper ocean on his desk and back to Bai Yutong.

“Deal.”

-

Bai Yutong is eager to work fast after this agreement. Better be quick, before Zhan Yao changes his mind once again -or worse- faints right over his work…

He had mentally prepared himself to wrestle Zhan Yao away from his work once he came back with the food, but to his surprise the professor almost followed obediently. Bai Yutong doesn’t want to question any of this. He herds Zhan Yao into the bathroom, picking up some clothes from the bedroom beforehand and then rushes into the kitchen. Time to get to work!

They eat quickly and quiet unceremonly. The goal is to get Zhan Yao some food and then some rest as soon as possible. No time for chichi.

Bai Yutong sees to fill up Zhan Yao’s plate with his favourite bits once he finished up the first round, subtly nudges a glass of water the careless professor’s way, as well. Zhan Yao eats all up, a giddy smile surrounding his lips. Finally some life coming back to his tired eyes. And Bai Yutong allows himself a little smile of his own.

Once they finished up, he doesn't know how but he finds himself sitting down on the little sofa in Zhan Yao’s living room. Zhan Yao’s eyes are drooping shut, have been for some while now, but he had insisted on Bai Yutong staying for a little while longer.

Bai Yutong hadn’t complained. Not only because this way he could still have an eye on Zhan Yao. And thus keep him from going back to his work desk. Just to be sure. Also-

His thought is cut short. Because suddenly there’s a new weight leaning against his side. Well, not really new. Zhan Yao’s eyes have finally fallen shut, his head lolling to the side. To the side, against Bai Yutong!

After a moment of shock, Bai Yutong sighs, the knot in his stomach loosening, as he rearranges his position a bit, making Zhan Yao slot against him more comfortably. He moves his arm around Zhan Yao’s shoulder, steadying him.

“I don’t want to know how you survived studying abroad alone”, Bai Yutong hears himself whisper with wonder and horror alike colouring his words.

“Instant noodles and take out.” Zhan Yao mumbles. He leans heavy against Bai Yutong’s side, leaving no space for air.

“I still remember”, Zhan Yao starts, voice strangely muffled by his face pressed against Bai Yutong’s shirt, “once during some exceptionally packed finales week, that one delivery man called me to ask if I was alright.” Zhan Yao is silent for a some time, Bai Yutong can feel his breath evening out. He almost believes him to be asleep, when Zhan Yao continues.

“I forgot to order for a few days. They got worried."

Bai Yutong tenses up, eyes going wide. “ _Zhan Yao_.” Bewilderment probably written all over his face. “Don’t tell me, by forgetting to order you actually mean _forgotten to eat_.”

Zhan Yao’s silence is all he needs for an answer.

Bai Yutong lets out a deep groan. Frustration palpable in the air. He tightens his grip around Zhan Yao’s shoulder.

“It’s a miracle you’ve survived on your own.” Bai Yutong mumbles more to himself.

“Well, no mouse to look after me in New York, mh.”

There it is, the too familiar fling of pain in his chest, whenever the topic lands on New York. All those years apart. All those years of Zhan Yao having to look after himself all on his own. And he hadn't been there.

It’s a good thing, that he’s back home now.

“Well”, Bai Yutong quips, “I’m here now.”

“Mhh, you are here”, Zhan Yao hums and then he’s out to the world.

Well at least he didn’t go back to the desk, Bai Yutong thinks as he leans his head back against the couch. His arm is still slung around Zhan Yao, grip tight. Zhan Yao’s breath is brushing against his neck, causing to quicken up his heartbeat just that bit. Leaving behind the so familiar twinge.

There’s no where else he’d rather be right now.

**Author's Note:**

> A quick little prompt fill, to get the writer's juives flowing 🙌  
> it seems like I've made it out of my slump? fingers crossed this will show some impact on those big wips on here, as well!
> 
> You can find me here [my tumblr](%E2%80%9D)


End file.
